Together
by coela32
Summary: Tally & David are traveling through the wild trying 2 keep history from repeating itself. But one city doesn't agree with the mind-rain and is still creating pretty minds. Can Tally and David stop the lesions? Lots of TaxDa fluff! Rated T just in case!
1. I'm Sorry

Disclaimer: I do not own Uglies or any ugly, pretty, or special charactors. Even though it's insanely not happy-making for me, Scott Westerfeld does (sobbs). I _do, _however, own this story and any charactors I happen to come up with in here though. That _is_ very happy-making for me.

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Summary: Tally and David are alone together traveling through the wild, trying to keep history from repeating itself. With all the pretties waking up, and the new found freedom everyone has, will things go right back to the way the rusties had them, or will Tavid stop things before it's too late? And what happened with Tally and David's relationship anyway? Did Aya's words of wisdom have an impact in Extras? Will the ugly, and last special end up together, or more apart than ever?

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Tally Youngblood stared out at the ocean before her. It gave her massive dejavu, which wasn't happy-making at all. Thinking about her non-special days always made her sad. Things were so much simpler then. It felt like every moment of her life was filled with what-ifs. _What if I had never thrown the pendant into the fire? _She would never have turned pretty. Right now she would be drinking tea with Maddy, Az, and David some place in the Old Smoke. _What if I hadn't stayed with Zane when the Specials came? _She would be in the New Smoke looking perfect through the whole thing in all her pretty glory. _What if…_ no she decided. She was not going to think that. Not now or ever…

"Tally?" Said a questioning voice behind her. A small smile formed on Tally's lips. David.

"Hi."

"Do you want to camp here, or try to get a little more boarding in before we stop?"

"We can just camp here." Even though David was by far the most enduring ugly she knew, it was still hard for him to keep up with her special reflexes. While she worked better in the dark, David tripped on something. Tally laughed.

"What are you thinking about?" Her friend asked her. She heard the smile in his voice.

"Nothing." She rolled her eyes as she said it. It aggravated David so much whenever she answered like that…

"Really." He said with a hint of sarcasm noticeable in his voice.

Tally sighed. "What-ifs. The things that would've happened if we… if I hadn't made the choices I had." She said softly.

"But everything turned out okay, didn't it?" David asked, his concern evident. "We're together aren't we?"

"Yeah. We're together." She blushed. Tally silently thanked Aya Fuse for helping her to realize what she had. Even though Zane was gone, David wasn't. In all that they had been through with and without each other, she had never stopped loving him. Even though the mass of lesions, cures, and brain-damage that was her mind had tried to mask it, the love she held for him had always been in her heart.

David came and sat beside her, looking out at the now pink waves that pressed up against the beach. Sunset was the most beautiful time of day. The end of an evening was always peaceful. This particular sunset was the exact same color the one had been the night she had decided to go find Peris all those years ago. It reminded her of how much can change in five years. After all the horror and tragedy she had seen, this moment of light seemed unreal. It was beautiful. Not the gooey sort of glamour that being near a new pretty made you feel, but the natural feel of the world around her. The rusties must have been idiots to destroy something this magical.

Sitting there with David all the memories of everything she had done to him. All the hurt and grief she must have caused the man she loved was like a knife in her heart. She started to cry.

"I'm s-so so-sorry for everything David." She sobbed tearlessly. She would never have tears as long as she was special.

"Tally, there's nothing to be sorry about. Don't cry." He tried to reassure her.

"No. I-I was such an idiot. I'm sorry for all the things I've said. I'm sorry I ruined your home. I'm sorry your father's dead. I'm-"

"Please, don't cry. Nothing you've ever done or will do will change the way I feel about you. I love you too much. More than everything I've lost or gained. I love you."

Tally turned to look at him. "David I-" And then his lips were on hers. Tally was surprised, but didn't pull back. She clung to him tighter and dug her nails into the jacket he always wore. They rocked back and forth passionately holding each other until it was too dark to see. When they finally pulled apart, Tally rested her cheek on his chest.

"And I'm sorry I hurt you."


	2. Chapter 2 Authors Note 1

Okay, really quick here

Okay, really quick here. I didn't add this to the first chapter because this is my very first fanfic and I had absolutely no idea how.

First of all, what do you guys think so far? I would _reallyreallyreallyreally_ love to see some reviews. They would make my day. I DO NOT accept anonymous reviews! So those of you who are to lazy to log in (you know who you are), don't even try.

Secondly, I'm going to add 2 new polls.

I'm going to give you the option of picking at least one

Character from the actual Uglies series for me to add into this story. I won't post poll results because I want it to be a surprise. But don't worry! When the winning character shows up I'll let you know that they were the winner. Also, if it's not who you voted for, don't get all sad-making. Since I'm so nice I might add them in someplace else if you don't complain about it. (hehehe)

The other poll will be to see how often you want me to update. I'll try to update ASAP, but I'm really busy right now so I want to have a specific deadline.

Hey I am very aware that the first chapter was short. Very short, especially by my standards. I don't know about you, but I get really mad when authors write really short chapters then don't update for a month. As a non-published writer I give you my word that I will not be like that, and my chapters will always be much, _much _longer.

Also, I don't know how long this story will last or how many words it'll have. I think at least over 50,000 words though. I hope. Once again this is my first fan fiction so I don't know yet if I have that kind of endurance, but I promise I'll try!

I'll update ASAP. Please review, those of you who are not anonymous!

Your BFF,

coela32!


	3. More than Anything

David opened his eyes and yawned. He felt the waves lap against his toes. For a moment, he felt confused. Where was he anyway? Then realization hit him. He had been talking to Tally last night hadn't he? They must've fallen asleep on the beach. David started to sit up but stopped when he realized Tally's head was still on his chest. He couldn't help but smile. Tally was going to be mad when she woke up. He loved her, but specials could be so hard headed. Might as well get it over with he thought.

"Tally?" He asked softly, still not moving.

"Humph." She mumbled back something that he didn't quite catch.

"We should probably get up now."

"David." She said.

"Yes, I'm here."

"David." She said again.

"Um-hum?"

"David." She said again for a third time. Obviously Tally was still asleep.

"David?" Tally asked. He could tell she was awake now.

"Good morning." He said softly. She sat bolt upright.

"Where are we?" Tally asked the alarm evident in her voice.

"The beach. We must've fallen asleep here last night."

"Oh." The look of confusion left her face to be followed by realization. David started to move, but before he could Tally laid back down.

"Can we just sit here a bit?" She asked sleepily. David smiled.

"Sure. As long as you like." He closed his eyes again.

It was way past noon and she knew it. The issue they were traveling back to Diego for wasn't really something that could wait…

"Tally, we should get up." Tally knew he was right of course, but just sitting there felt so good. They had had a long day yesterday. They had flown through her home city, the rusty ruins, and had ended up camping by the ocean. It had been hard for her remembering everything that had happened there. All the people she had befriended, betrayed, and left behind at one point or another…

"Kay." She answered with a sigh, showing her disappointment. Tally stood up and brushed herself off. She had sand all over her, but looking at David it was obvious that he had it much worse. She had no choice but to burst out laughing.

"What?" David asked, obviously very confused.

"You – you're covered in sa-sand!" She was cracking up. It was just to funny not to. David frowned, then looked down at himself. After a moment of staring, he couldn't help but join her in her laughter. He was a mess. There was sand and mud all over him, a little crab next to his ear, and some seaweed draped across his leg. Finally they decided to move on, after laughing for what seemed like forever.

Everything was packed. Tally was grumbling something about SpagBol though. She had said that she didn't want to stop and re-supply in her own city, because there was a lot about the place she didn't want to remember. Well, she had gladly eaten anything but SpagBol the whole trip, and now that was all that was left. David knew that his friend could eat just about anything, but in the past few years, she had really learned to control her special-ness. Her temper was much better, she was a lot more careful about what she ate, for obvious health reasons, and she seemed to have regained a conscience along the way.

After the two had cleaned all the sand, seaweed, etc. off themselves, they had a delicious meal of SpagBol, much to Tally delight, and left. Tally was very impressed by the fact that before David came out to ask her where she wanted to camp, he had only managed to unfold one hoverboard. Since they both agreed that they had spent enough time that day literally just lying around, Tally and David decided to share.

Riding together made David think about when he had first seen Tally pretty. He had been thinking so many things then! Yes, she was defiantly beautiful, but she wasn't Tally. She wasn't the girl he loved. When he had met Zane he was afraid that letting her go like that had been the biggest mistake he had ever made. David had been terrified that she had forgotten all about him and had "grown up" as the city people put it. Then the last time he saw her pretty, those fears had been confirmed when she chose to stay. He thought that was a stupid decision on her part. By giving herself up she wasn't going to be able to help him anyway! All she was going to do was get herself caught and have who-knows-what done to her brain. But those words she said to him… "Get your ugly face out of here!" Had just been to much. For awhile he thought that that would be the last time he saw her. If Zane was really what she wanted, and if they gave her back the lesions back, she would rather stay in the city with him being beautiful, rather than come out here with David and dare to break a nail. That had been the worst day of his life. Worse than the day the Old Smoke ended, worse than the day he found out his dad had died, and worse than the day he had ran off feeling betrayed by the girl he loved so much only to find her gone when he returned. Gone to turn pretty. Gone to be "bubbly, and happy-making", and all the other strange terms they used in New Pretty Town. But she had come back to him. After all that struggling and heartache, she had come back. Everything that had happened was no more. Now, right now Tally was his and his alone. He would always love her. More than anything.


	4. Rangers

Tally sighed as she did her best to stomach the SpagBol. She and David weren't starving or anything. They had _a lot_ of it left, it was just horrible tasting. She could go her whole life without eating this stuff again. But, the sooner they got to Diego the better. Philadelphia, which had managed to keep its rusty name, was ruining the whole point of the mind-rain. The city seemed convinced that the world was better and more organized with the bubble-heads, so when Tally and David had visited the city to get refuge one day a few weeks ago, they found that just about everyone over sixteen there was still pretty-minded. The two had tried to convince the authorities that what they were doing was wrong and needed to stop, but they wouldn't have it. Plus, they hadn't even gotten past the lower authorities. Tally wanted to talk to the person in charge, but they wouldn't let her. They wouldn't even tell her who it was! Of course, since she was still special, Tally could have easily fought her way up the ladder, but she knew from experience that if she lost control of her temper she would probably kill someone. She didn't want that to happen ever again. So that's why they were going to Diego. They wanted the easy going city's help in completely wiping out the lesions. Even though Tally was thought of as a hero everywhere, there were very few cities that actually trusted her. She didn't want to go through nonsense about "what unkind deeds she committed in her past." So Diego it was.

"Are you done?" David asked, breaking her out of her daze.

"Yeah. SpagBol is horrible anyway."

"If you're not, I can wait." He said. She wanted to keep moving, not sit around eating some food that was almost impossible to stomach.

"No, I'm done." She said. Tally stood up, and grabbed her hoverboard.

Memories of escorting groups of uglies to the Smoke flooded through him. How many times had he crossed over here? They had been traveling the same route he always took to get to the Smoke and he hadn't even noticed it. David stared out at the field of white flowers before him. He had completely forgotten how huge it was.

"Are you okay?" Tally asked him, noticing his sad expression.

"I'm fine. Just… a lot of memories." He said.

"Oh. I'm so sorry David." She said, her voice filled with sadness.

"It's not your fault Tally." He softly reassured her.

"But it is! I had to throw that stupid pendant into the fire just to make a point!" She yelled. David could tell she was more upset with herself than with him. Even though she had almost completely mastered her temper she still had her outbursts.

"Tally, you've told me before. You meant to get rid of the pendant, not set it off."

"But that's exactly what happened! David, I was a stupid, ignorant, selfish, unattractive-"

"I never thought any of those things." He smiled at her softly. That stopped her. After a moment of just staring at each other, she smiled softly back at him.

"It was still horrible though." Tally added, her voice quiet.

"Yes, it was horrible. But that's over now. It's just you and me. We're together and that's all that matters."

"Yeah, we're together." She grinned at him. David watched the girl he loved take the first steps into the mountain of orchids. He smiled and followed.

Tally pushed David to the ground. This was one of those moments where being special was a _good_ thing. The flames blazed all around them. How dejavu was this? They were only a few yards away from the river. If they could just make it a little farther…

Suddenly the rusty machine became visible above them. "Surrender!" A pretty voice called from the helicopter.

"Kayla stop!" Called someone from behind her. David probably couldn't hear it but it was clear as day to Tally.

"David?" The same voice called out to them. Even though he didn't answer, the rangers took it as a yes quickly extinguished the fire. Once all the flames had been put out, the group landed next to them.

"David, what are you doing with _that_?" Remarked the one who's name was Kayla. David sighed

"Kayla, this is Tally. Don't you remember? She was the one you almost set on fire." He replied matching her tone. It was obvious she had offended him.

"The one who betrayed the Smoke." She stated coldly. Tally glared. She was _not_ going to take this from some bubble-head.

"Kayla, that wasn't her fault."

"Don't kid yourself David. All those people ended up in special circumstances or dead because of her. All your friends and your dad." Tally gritted her teeth and the next thing she knew, she had Kayla pinned to the ground.

"Tally, don't. She's just trying to get to you."

"Wait." Said the other ranger. "Do you mean Tally _Youngblood_?" He asked.

"The one and only." Tally said, getting off of Kayla. The pretty's mouth hung open. "Well, um, I think we've made a horrible mistake. We haven't heard any news from the outside world since the Smoke was destroyed. We knew there had been a spy, and we knew her name was Tally, but we never imagined Tally _Youngblood._" Tally smirked. Why did everyone think she was so great? She wasn't _that_ special. (No pun intended.)

"This is the first time we've left our headquarters next to Diego in five years. Kayla and I are on a scouting mission to see if the mind-rain cleared everything up. Where are you two headed? Maybe we could give you a ride."

"Actually, we're going to Diego. Tally and I have to talk to the authorities there. There's a city west of here that doesn't agree with the mind-rain, and is still giving the pretties lesions." Tally watched Kayla stare intently at David. She didn't like that.

"Wow." Said Kayla in an admiring voice. "That must be hard, traveling miles at a time like that, with no help from the cities." It was obvious the complement was directed towards David. Sensing Tally's discomfort towards Kayla, the other ranger re-entered the conversation.

"I guess we couldn't take you anywhere then. This was just a stop on our way to a city south of here. We've already seen Diego, and need to make sure everything's cleared for us to continue our work with the orchids."

"Alright then." Answered David. To Tally's pleasure, he seemed just as relieved to be leaving Kayla as she was. "Well, that's too bad. We could've used a lift."

"Yeah." Said the boy ranger, climbing back into the machine. "By the way, my name's Todd, and if you guys ever need anything, just come talk to the rangers. We'd all be happy to help."

"Thanks." Tally said coldly. She never wanted to see Kayla or anyone who knew her again. As the helicopter took off, Tally and David began walking towards the clearing that had at one point been the Smoke.

As David and Tally walked closer to the Smoke, childhood memories rushed through his head. Thoughts of reading in the library, playing games, and exploring the woods randomly came back to him. Memories of hugging his mother when she returned with new uglies, building the huts that he and his friends had lived in, and his father telling him all about the operation. It took all his effort not to cry. He defiantly didn't want to do that, and earn another guilt talk from Tally. He gritted his teeth as he prepared to enter the last ring of trees and see the ruins of his childhood home. But what he saw next nothing could have prepared him for. David, followed by Tally, both with looks of complete shock on their faces, stared at a living, thriving, Smoke. But that's not what the main surprise was.

"David?"


	5. Chapter 5 Authors Note 2

Hey again

Hey again! I forgot to edit the last chapter, and I don't know how to put it in now. Sorry. And I've had some reviews asking what it was Aya Fuse said. She didn't have any specific lines about this, but she really convinced Tally to get over Zane in a few emotional moments with Frizz. If you haven't read Extras, you should, otherwise it might be hard to understand some of this, though I'll try to make it as clear as possible.

Also, what's with the Smoke coming back to life? What do you think of that? And who's in front of David? (I gave you a cliffhanger. HeHeHe.) Well, all these questions shall be answered in Bum-Ba-Bummm!! THE NEXT CHAPTER!!

Keep reviewing! The more reviews I get, the faster I'll update! Oh, and once again, thank you Lost-in-my-books-forever, HG4evur, and flowermasters for adding this story to their alerts list. It makes my day!

Thank you guys so much,

Your BFF,

coela32!!


	6. The Smoke Lives

Disclaimer: I do not own the Uglies Series, though I wish I did. Scott Westerfeld does. (sighs)

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Summary: Tally and David are traveling through the wild together trying to keep history from repeating itself. But there's a city that doesn't agree with the mind-rain and is still creating pretty-minds. Can Tally and David put a stop to the lesions for good?

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AN:

Eclipsed Heart, thanks for telling me about Rusties! I had no clue up till now! Ill change that in future chapters! Also, I appreciate you telling me about the AN's. Once again, I had no clue. Thanks!

Lost-in-my-books-forever, thank you so much! I'm glad you like it so far!

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Tally's mouth hung open. The shock of what she was seeing was too much. David, however was ten times worse.

"Az?" She asked. _No,_ Tally thought to herself. _Az is dead._ But it was David's father standing in front of them. She turned towards David, who looked like he was about to collapse. She squeezed his hand to give him what little reassurance she had to offer.

David stuttered. "Does Mom know?" He finally asked.

"No." Az replied, a sense of longing visible in his voice. "I – we haven't been able to find her yet."

"We?" Tally asked. _Who else is here anyway?_ She thought to herself.

"The other Smokies." Az replied coolly. Then he turned his attention to David. "David, is this Tally?" He asked softly. David nodded, the confusion on his face replaced by that crooked smile that she loved.

"Yes, this is Tally." He turned to face her, his smile taking up most of his face. Tally couldn't help but smile back.

"You seem different that I remember Tally." David's father said with a sarcastic edge. Tally smiled. Right now just seemed to good to be true. Mostly just because David looked happier than she had ever seen him, but also because his father was alive as well as the Smoke. She was also hoping that Az wouldn't be one of those who judge her upon arrival.

"However, I suggest you leave." Az said. Tally guessed she'd spoken too soon. She turned her gaze towards David, and was immediately upset. David's face had gone from ecstatic to crushed in such a short time. Of course, Tally couldn't blame him. He discovers his home has been rebuilt and his father whom he had thought dead for over five years is alive, only to be told to go away.

Tally turned to glare at Az. "And why is that?" She asked coldly. Az struggled to answer.

"Well, the scouts are going to come back soon, and, I, um…" Az was unable to finish when an ugly stepped out form behind some trees.

"Az, I was…" He trailed off when he turned to look at Tally. Then took off running. Why did she terrify everyone? Yes, she was scary looking, and even though as an ugly the specials had been very intimidating, they had never made her run away after just seeing one.

Az turned to look at her with a serious expression. "Tally, you need to leave now." He said looking her strait in the eye.

"No." She spat back at him. "I'm not going anywhere. Not without David." Her razor voice hissed.

"Tally…" But Az was cut off by the shouts of what sounded like an army of Smokies. So the one before had gone to warn them. It looked like the Smoke had come up with a better defense system. One raised a bow, aimed directly at Tally.

"Oh, crap."

...

The next thing she knew she was in the Smokes hospital. Or, more of a hut with some makeshift beds. She could hear David arguing with Az about something in the background. He seemed so upset. She wanted to go and comfort him, but she couldn't seem to move.

"I don't care, Dad! I have to get her out of here _now_!"

"David, you can't. She won't be able to move at all for at least another few hours. It would just hurt her more."

"I'm not going to go through that again! I'm not going to let him show up and take her away from me!"

What were they talking about? David was obviously mad about something.

"You're being irrational. You can leave as soon as she wakes up." Tally knew she had to find a way to show them she was awake. Something was up, and if it was making David this mad, they should get away from it as soon as possible. She tried to talk. To say something. Anything at all. When that didn't work, Tally began trying to move her hands. Her index finger could move, but that probably wasn't enough to prove her consciousness.

"I'm not going to risk it." David finally said. "I can just carry her. It won't make that much of a difference."

Az sighed. "I guess I won't be able to stop you. Take care David. Come back when you can." _Humph._ Thought Tally. _He wants me to leave as soon as possible, but can't bare the thought of David gone. _

"I'll come back as soon as possible, Dad. I – I just can't handle this." David said. Then he scooped Tally up into his arms and started to run.

...

Tally woke up under a large shade tree near a small cliff. She had just had the strangest dream. They had gone to the Smoke… David's father had been there… and someone shot her… "Oh!" She exclaimed, sitting strait up.

"Tally?" Someone said softly from behind her.

"David… did I just have a dream, or was that real?"

"The Smoke?" He asked.

"And your father."

David smiled softly at her. "Yes." He said. "That was real."

There had been something else and she knew it. Tally just couldn't quite place it… But one thing was for certain. The Smoke lived.

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AN:

So, did you like Az coming back? I hated it when he died, so I thought this would be good. Plus, he's going to play an important roll later on. I bet some of you are wondering about how that arrow actually _hurt_ Tally, right? That's going to be answered next chapter. And how did Az live anyway? Well, that's going to be pretty much the next chapter. David explaining to Tally what happened when she was out. And what were David and Az fighting about? That, I won't let you in on for several chapters. Btw, I probably won't get a chance to update for a few days, so don't get too mad. I'm having a halloween party and I'm going to be helping my parents set everything up. Three days tops! Then I promise you I'll update. I might even be able to post another chapter tonight...

Anyways, I'm glad you like things so far. Oh, and today is my birthday! You know what I want for my birthday? Reviews! Just kidding. If you don't want to review, you don't have to. I just think it's nice to have a critique to work by, and I _love _compliments. Thanks for keeping up with the story!

Your BFF,

coela32!!


	7. Az's Story

AN: Okay, I'm sooo sorry I haven't updated in forever! I've had a crazy couple of days, but it won't happen again.

Thanks to all my awesome reviewers, and those of you who have added me or my story to your alerts or favorites. Especially Kalli-wa1607, for doing all those things.

Also, I'm going to start trying to make my chapters longer. Up until now they've been fairly short, but I'm trying to update daily, so you still are going to get more pretty quick.

Anyway, onward with the story!

* * *

Tally looked up at David with confusion

Tally looked up at David with confusion. She had no idea what had happened. David sighed and looked her straight in the eye. He was going to have to tell her sooner or later…

"David, what happened?" She asked him. This would be a long conversation.

"First tell me what you remember."

Tally thought for a minute. "We met those rangers, Kayla and Todd." David grimaced when she said Kayla's name. If that ranger honestly thought…

"And then we went to the Smoke, and it was as if nothing had happened there. Your dad was there also."

"Yes." Replied David, a smile playing on his lips. "The Smoke is alive, as well as my dad." Tally smiled. David seemed so happy.

"But, how exactly… did he live?" She asked. Honestly, she had no idea. When they had been caught, what reason would Dr. Cable have had to say that Az was dead?

"Would you like to hear his story?" David asked. He obviously wanted to tell her. Tally smiled, and David took it as a yes.

"Once we left my parents house the night the Specials came, after we had our, um, talk, the house caught on fire. My mom had been making tea the old fashioned way. The Specials never even burned the house. My dad just accidentally put a towel on top of the burner without realizing it was on, and it started the flames. Then, after about fifteen minutes of trying to put it out, Dr. Cable came with her little Special army. Dad told me that one of the Specials had said something about not being able to find the house had there not been a fire. Special Circumstances took them completely by surprise. While they were busy fanning and throwing water on a fire, the Specials simply snuck up behind them and that was that."

Tally bit her lip. David's story was a lot different than the heroic fight Maddy and Az had put up against the Specials that she had imagined. It took all her effort not to burst out laughing at David's story. It was just so random.

Finally, after getting herself under control so she wouldn't laugh, she redirected her attention to David. "So what happened once they were caught?" She asked.

"Dad woke up in one of the cells that you and I saw after taking Dr. Cable out. My mom, Shay, Croy, and some others were there too."

"What happened to Croy anyway? I haven't seen him since…" Her voice faded out. She didn't want to think about the day she had left the New Smoke and became Special. That had been one of the worst days of her life.

Noticing her discomfort David answered her question. "Croy is at the Smoke with my dad." He said smiling. Even though she hadn't seen him in years, Croy had been one of Tally's friends as an ugly. She smiled thinking about all the good times she had had back in the Old Smoke.

"Anyway, as the days passed, they all started making plans on how to escape. My parents had to explain to the other uglies there who didn't know the real purpose of the operation. They all seemed to be under the impression that the city just wanted to ask them some questions, and then they could all go back to the Smoke. Some of them didn't believe that was the city could ever be so cruel, and told the Specials what mom and dad were saying. Of course, my parents were right and Special Circumstances knew it. So, they brought Dr. Cable back in to see if she could fix the memory problem. Since Shay and Croy both completely believed my parents, and weren't as easily persuaded as the other Smokies, they were the last to turn. All the others were pretty long before we got there, since the Specials didn't want to run the risk of them being convinced. By the time you and I got there, Shay had been pretty almost a week, and they were planning on turning Croy later that night."

"Then we came." Tally stated.

"Right." Said David before continuing. "Earlier that day, they had taken dad back. My mom assumed that they would turn him, and be done with it. Instead, Dr. Cable first gave him the option of becoming Special, or getting his memory erased and turning pretty. Being as stubborn as he is, dad chose being pretty. He wanted nothing to do with the treachery of Special Circumstances."

Tally sat confused a minute. "But I thought the test for becoming Special was being pretty, and then thinking your way out of it."

"It usually is. But since my parents had done all they had, from running away, to founding the Smoke, and everything in between, Dr. Cable was willing to make an exception. She wouldn't have if they had just been some random Smokies, who had been led there in a group. But they started the whole thing from scratch, so Dr. Cable reconsidered. Also, though, the whole memory erasing thing wasn't quite perfected. And even Specials don't want to kill people, merely keep the cities under control. Dr. Cable thought that making my parents Special would solve that."

"Oh." Said Tally in response. This was a lot to think over.

"When he refused her offer, Dr. Cable decided to go ahead and erase his memory and turn him. So, since at the time Dr. Cable always seemed to get her way, that's what happened." This part surprised Tally. If Az had been pretty, and he didn't remember anything, than…

"How did he end up back in the Smoke then?" She asked. David smiled that crooked smile. "I'm getting there." He said.

"So, the way the memory erasing works, goes like this. The surgeons operate on your brain basically, and put in tiny new lesions that are different than the ones just regular pretties have. These, say your whole past was something completely different than what it actually was. My dad thought he had been a rebellious ugly who had taken some trips to the rusty ruins but nothing more than that. Then, he thought he had been in something called a Hot-Air as a New Pretty." David looked at Tally. "What exactly is a Hot-Air?"

Tally grinned. "A Hot-Air is a member of a specific clique. They go around riding hot air balloons all night. If Shay hadn't convinced me to be a Crim, I would've ended up a Hot-Air." After spending all this time with David, he new all about her time as a pretty.

David smiled at her and continued his story. "So basically his past was not what it actually was. They told my mom he was dead because they didn't want the two to find each other again and jog each others memories. These particular lesions work the like the pretty lesions and can be thought out of. Anyway, after so long living like a middle pretty, the mind rain came along. Well, going along with the crowd like most pretties do, the pills got rid of the lesions. Since the memory lesions are smaller than pretty lesions, the pretty lesions support them. So if someone took the pretty lesions away, the memory lesions fade away with them. Once he remembered everything that had happened, my dad immediately left the city and began re-building the Smoke with old and new Smokies. He tried to find my mom, but still hasn't. He will eventually though. If dad's determined enough to do something, he'll get it done." David smiled at her, proclaiming that he had finished. She smiled back, but then remembered something important.

"David?" She asked cautiously.

"Um-hum?"

"What were you and Az talking about in the hospital?"

* * *

What _were_ David and Az talking about in the hospital? Why did David have to leave so quickly? Once again, why did that arrow hurt Tally? _Most_ of these questions will be answered in the next chapter, though some may not, for plot reasoning. Be patient! I do have a reason!

Anyways, I like reviews, though if you don't feel like it you don't have to. But they are nice...

Once again, thanks for reading.

Your BFF,

coela32!


	8. Authors Note 3

I am sooooooo incredibly sorry for not updating! I do have several chapters written which I can't post because my internet connection has been down for several months now. I'm only able to post this now because my friend has been nice enough to let me use her computer. Sorry for the lateness and the fact that I have broken my promise. But my internet is being looked at as I type this now, so the story will continue in at most a week. Please keep reading and I will NOT let this happen again.


	9. Selfish

David was being selfish and he knew it. He didn't want to lie to her in any way, but if he didn't, well, it would be just like before. David felt stupid for believing he was actually going to get a happy ending. For believing Tally actually wanted to be with him. Realization hit him now that she had had no other option. But now she did. If they hadn't left the Smoke when they did, she would have left him just like before, and the past five years together would have meant nothing. Just like before Tally would go skipping off into the sunset with her little Zane-la while David would sit there wondering how he had let her slip through his fingers yet again. Because right now, while Tally sat there eagerly awaiting the answer to his question, Zane was at the Smoke, just as alive as David's father, probably just waiting for a chance to go find Tally.

"David?" She asked him again. He had no idea whether he should tell her or just make something up to stop the questioning. Well, there was only one option there. He wasn't going to let Tally go that easy this time. So, if at all possible, he would NOT tell her what was really going on.

"Um….." David stalled. "Most of the Smokies were out digging up what's left of the metal. They need larger hoverboard paths since the Smoke has grown quite a bit. The Mind-Rain brought out the Rusty in a lot of us. And, well, you saw how they reacted to you before. With the Smoke just coming back, the last thing that we need is a political squabble there." David had mumbled through most of it, trying to make it sound half-way convincing. He had always been a terrible liar anyway.

"Okay, well, that's it then?" Asked Tally.

"What do you mean?"

She stared at him for a moment, confusion evident on her face. "You saw your dad today for the first time in five years. They you leave suddenly. A few squabbling Smokies doesn't seem like a very likely reason."

Tally had a point. But, luckily for him, he had reasoning other than Zane for taking Tally away so suddenly.

"Tally, do you realize that that arrow could've killed you?" She stared at David with her mouth gaping at what he had just said. For nearly a fourth of her life she had found herself indestructible. How could something as simple, and primitive, and _Rusty_ as an arrow possibly have an effect on _her_?

"You were unconscious for three days. We've been camped here for all that time." He said. "When my father came back, the Mind-Rain hadn't been entirely put into place yet. So, he did his research, and came up with the venom that was on the tip of the arrow they shot you with. It was designed specifically for Specials. The venom breaks down the outer shell of your body. Therefore dulling your reflexes, toning down your muscles, and weakening you all together. The venom then reaches your blood stream and spreads rapidly through your body, causing a haziness to drape over you. That's why you blacked out. My dad said though that the part of your mind that has motor skill and what not was the last part to wake up. That's the reason why you could think but not move for awhile." Tally was going to ask him how he knew about her not being able to move, but he continued before she had the chance.

"If my father hadn't given you the antidote when he did, it is very likely that you would have died. Or at the very best ended up like….." His voice trailed off. David had a feeling he had just made a very bad decision. David never brought up Zane because it put Tally into this depression that would last several hours if not longer. Of course, now that it was official that he was _alive_ Tally didn't need to be sad.

"Oh." Was all she said. Now he had done it. He'd gone and said something about Zane. For the next two or three hours he'd probably be looking at nothing but her sad, mopey eyes. He hated to see her like that so much. He knew he could just tell her the truth, but, he was selfish. If awhile of watching her be sad meant he got to keep her, than so be it. He still thought he should apologize anyway.

"I'm sorry Tally. I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, it's okay." She said back. "I'm glad you told me. I, well, I wouldn't want that to happen. I'll just have to stay clear of Smokies and arrows from now on." She said with a sad smile, trying to cheer herself up. Tally turned her head away and after a long silence finally spoke.

"I love you David." She said softly. He was completely shocked. It was obvious that they loved each other, but neither had ever actually said it. Hearing it out loud though made him scream with joy inside.

"I love you too Tally." He did love her, and for just a fraction of a second, all his problems seemed to vanish. The feeling was short lived though. Their had been other times that he had thought they were in love and was proven wrong very harshly….

"Well isn't that sweet, Tally-wa. It looks like I came in at just the right moment."

"Shay?"


	10. Awkward

I'm back!!!!! So what did you guys think of Zane coming back? And Shay? I know I'm bringing charactors back into the story right and left, but I need to now or later in the story things aren't going to make any sense at all. Also, my internet is still being screwy. I'm not going to be able to update every night like I used to be able to, but you can expect an update every Wednsday, or whenever my internet is up. I put an extra chapter on tonight not just because I wanted to post it while I could, but also I figured I owe you guys that much. I hope you all still find it worth your time to read and review this story and I'm incredibly sorry about the delays.

You know the drill. None of these charactors are mine. They're all Scott's. Blah blah blah. Now on with the story!

* * *

Tally was having a hard time believing what she saw. So many things from her past had just popped up over the past few days. The rangers. The Smoke. Az. And now Shay. She felt torn in several different directions. Some of the things she saw brought back hard memories for her. A lot of things from her past she didn't want to remember. She wanted to blotch them out completely and not have to deal with the pain they gave her. At the same time, however, she felt stupid. For almost five years now she had been traveling with David. For five years now she'd been working to get over everything that had happened and everyone she had lost. For five years she had been trying to keep her spirits high, but not at all succeeding. So here she was, holding hands with the man she loved, staring into the face of her best friend, wondering how she could possibly not be happy at that moment.

"Tally. David." Shay said, her face sarcastic. "I see you've been enjoying your alone time."

Tally blushed. Shay hit that point head on. She was very much enjoying the time she had with David. Of course, she knew that with the Philadelphia problem it probably wouldn't last much longer. But what was worrying her more was that David was keeping something from her. He was obviously upset about something, and it didn't look like he was planning on telling her. It was true that they had gone through a ruff spot in the past, but since the Mind-Rain, there didn't seem to be any reason for either of them to be lying to the other. Well, that's what Tally thought. David seemed to be thinking something else entirely.

"What are you doing here?" David asked through his bewilderment. Tally bit her lip to keep from laughing. David didn't look the least bit concerned that Shay had decided to suddenly appear out of nowhere, an action that could only mean something bad. Instead, he looked more like his hoverboard had broken and he was confused as to why it wouldn't start.

"Oh, just dropping by." She said nonchalantly. _Sure. _Thought Tally._ Shay decides to randomly journey through the wild and just so happens to bump into David and me._

David raised his eyebrows. "Just dropping by?" There was a silence.

"Well, I was on my way back to Diego…. I had just seen the Smoke…. and I thought I come find you guys. I needed to talk to David actually."

David just nodded. "Are you still going back to Diego? We just came from the Smoke as well. We could travel together."

"Ah." Said Shay awkwardly. Tally had no idea what could possibly be awkward to Shay about traveling to Diego. "Okay." She finally said. "That would be…. good, I guess." She sounded very unsure about something. Tally made a mental note to ask her about it later.

"So…. I guess you saw Az then." She said. David smiled.

"Yes." He said grinning. What was with him today? Ten minutes ago he was acting all bogus with his little secret and his "you could've died" talk. Then he gets all awkward with Shay and suddenly is grinning like a littlie being given a giant bag of candy.

"And you talked to him too, right?" She asked him, an over serious expression clouding her usually sarcastic expression. David just nodded.

"So he must've told you about…"

"Shay." David cut her off. "Do you think we could talk about this later? Tally and I have wasted three days waiting here while she recovered from a, um, incident. We really need to keep going." He added the last part urgently. David and Shay knew something Tally didn't, and she was determined to find out. If David wasn't going to tell her what it was, then she would get Shay alone later and figure out what was going on.

Shay nodded with a mysterious hint of disapproval and began to fold up her hoverboard without another word to them.

* * *

David had spent the last twelve hours terrified that Shay would tell Tally about Zane. If she had talked to his father, then she knew about him also. Now, however, his worry over _that _topic had dulled down some. Now he had something else to worry about. After a day of flying Tally had almost passed out while hoverboarding, and hadn't even protested when David made the call to stop. That was strange for Tally who always seemed obsessed about timing. Usually when they were in a hurry to get somewhere Tally would want to keep flying until David was practically begging her to stop. Specials could stay awake an energized for about three days without feeling the slightest bit tire. Pretties, who were designed to be able to spend all night partying could stay alert for about thirty six hours, assuming they didn't get drunk. Uglies, however, could only last a little over a day, and that's not taking hoverboarding into consideration. What scared him now was that Tally wasn't able to last even that long. She had been asleep for an hour now, and he had been repeating to himself over and over in his head that she was special, the arrow must've not entirely wore off yet, and that there was nothing at all wrong with her. But no matter how many times he said that to himself, he still knew that something was the matter with the girl he loved.

Shay, however, was looking at Tally as if she were just taking a nap after a particularly stressful afternoon. She turned to him.

"David." She said, her voice serious. "You're going to have to tell her."

And, of course, there was Zane. David sighed, realizing sadly that his time of peace with Tally was most likely at its end. But David did not give up easily. Philadelphia _would_ give into the Mind-Rain. Whatever was wrong with Tally he _would_ fix. And, he would absolutely _not_ loose her again.

* * *

So it looks like David is pretty stern about keeping his secret from Tally. What does Shay think about all of this? And what's with Tally passing out like that? Well, these questions will be answered very soon. Maybe not all in the next chapter, but soon. (As soon as I get the chance to post, and my computer isn't acting up, that is.) Anyway, please review, and I'll post again as soon as I get the chance!


	11. Argument

* * *

I'm sooo sorry about the lack of updates. I don't really have much of an excuse this time... writer's block I guess. I feel bad because I know that with things spaced this far apart everyone has to be losing interest in this story, and I've broken my promise about not being one of those long-space-in-between-updates writers. But now I have some ideas of where to go next. Hopefully I'll be able to update more often. Anyway, here's the next chapter!

Disclaimer: Still not Scott. :(

* * *

Tally couldn't move. Again. This was exactly like what had happened back in the Smoke. She could think. She could hear what was going on around her. But she couldn't feel, talk, or see anything. She could hear Shay talking to David in the distance. David sounded worried and Shay sounded just plain angry. Tally wanted to get up and tell them to stop arguing. They'd lost enough time already because of her. She tried again to move. Nothing.

After another hour or so of being sort-of conscious, Tally focused on listening to what was going on around her. She could vaguely make out David's voice in the distance. It sounded like they weren't standing very close to her, but then again, all her senses were pretty bogus at the time.

"Shay-"

"No David. You're going to tell her. If you don't, I will. And believe me David; it's going to sound a lot better than if I do it."

"But if Dr. Cable is-"

"I don't care David! Tally has a right to know!"

It took Tally a minute to realize that they were talking about her. Maybe this would give her some insight as to what David was hiding.

"David, do you remember how torn up she was before? How awful this has been for her?" There was a silence. "You can make that go away. Do what's best for Tally." David sighed.

"Fine." He said sternly. "I'll just march right up to her, and tell her everything! I'll lose her again, but that doesn't matter. No, that doesn't matter at all! As long as Tally can get her happy ending and be _bubbly_ and _icy_ and all those other stupid terms you use, and skip off into the sunset all Special, with her Special friends, leaving me wondering what I did wrong! No, Shay! Not this time!" Tally could hear his breath slow some in an attempt to calm himself. "Shay, you need to go." He said with a heavy voice. There was silence.

"I'll leave then." Shay said. "But don't expect that I won't be back, because I will. I won't be alone either. You just wait and see David. It's not going to help anything when she sees Zane just walking up to her like nothing even happened, and you simply "forgot" to mention he was coming." Tally tried again to move, struggling her whole body. She _had_ to know what was going on! She wasn't going to just let David keep lying to her. What was happening, and what did it have to do with Zane? Tally felt a stab of pain. She had promised herself long ago that that part of her life was over, and didn't need to be thought about again. But the way they were talking, it sounded as if…

"She won't be able to recognize him." David said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, do you think that'll stop him? Or me for that matter? It's only a matter of time David. I suggest you tell her, or you'll be paying the price in the end." And with that came the sound of footsteps, and the noise of a rising hoverboard. Just like that, Shay was gone. And Tally knew that Zane, somehow, was still alive.

Hours had passed, and Tally still hadn't moved. David had made a deal with himself that if she didn't wake up in another hour, he would try and hoverboard her to a hospital. He would've done so earlier, but he was sure that no one would help her, even if she was Tally Youngblood, because she was still special. So the authorities would do the only thing that made since to them. They would de-specialize her. Though that sounded somewhat appealing to David, he knew it would be the exact opposite for Tally. She would hate him for letting them do that to her. That was, of course, assuming she ever woke up.

David looked over at Tally and brushed the hair out of her face. Her tanned skin looked pale in the moonlight. He found himself thinking about how things had been before he met Tally. How much simpler his life was. He would wake up every morning surrounded by his friends. The sunshine had always been so bright in the valley, and there was hardly ever a day when he couldn't see its beauty. Every evening he would go and see his parents, and to tell them what good, what was bad, and everything in between. It was wonderful… but he wouldn't go back. David knew that he wouldn't have traded the time he had with Tally for anything.

David wondered for the millionth time that day when she would wake up. Then a horrible thought struck him. He recollected Tally telling him what had happened when she couldn't move because of the arrow. She had said she was able to hear him. David realized with horror that he might not have to tell Tally anything after all.

* * *

Ooooh. Does Tally know about Zane? What's going to happen? Hmmm...

Anyway, I think I'm going to jump ahead a little into the next chapter. I feel like I've done way to much in the forest going down memory lane. Time for some of the cities!


End file.
